And The Darkness Shall Last An Immortal Lifetime
by Lil Miss Giggles
Summary: The World is plunged into an eternal darkness effecting not only everday human life, but the nightly routine of every demon on the globe. Things begin to go terribly wrong for both the dark hero and his Slayer.
1. And The Darkness Shall Last An Immortal ...

  
And The Darkness Shall Last An Immortal Lifetime.  
  
Title:- see above  
Rating:- PG13  
Distribution:- ask first por favore  
Ownership:- Joss owns all. He reigns supreme (except in my fics where I am GOD)  
Feedback :- OKAY?  
  
The wonders of modern day man. And woman of course. She'd seen it all. For over 4 centuries she'd watched the achievements of mankind, knowing she could never be a part of it. The demon within her forbade it. No, she was content. She liked the way she was. Immortality was her one dream as a child and now her dream was reality. It had been for over 4 centuries. She watched the sunset from the shadows, out of direct sunlight. How beautiful it was, the colours merging to form one huge, magnificent glow. Twirling her blonde hair, she stepped out of the shadows as the last remains of the sun vanished, and the world was plunged into darkness. Eternally. She smiled and looked at her watch, two in the afternoon. She watched as the panic spread like wildfire through Los Angeles and the rest of America no doubt. Returning to her flat, the vampire switched on the TV. There were emergency newsflashes on every channel. She looked out of the window and laughed at the crowds of humans stumbled in the darkness, trying to get cars or flats. Car headlights were hurriedly turned on, and lit the street for the terrified stampede. Humans were dangerous. If just one stopped to think, they'd see there was nothing to fear. Only slightly darker than your average daylight. No problem. But if one person panicked, they all did. There were even lunatics screaming from flat windows that the Apocalypse was nigh. Rubbish. Only a little witchcraft. Not your average witchcraft, true, but it was still there. Religion may disappear, but there would always be witchcraft. That she was sure of. The cries of the terrifed grew tiresome, she put a video on. The Exorcist. It always made her laugh, most horror films did. The gore just made her hungry and the screams of the victims only made it worse. By the end of the film, she was laughed so hard she cried. Calming herself down, she focussed her mind on the more serious matters at hand. Eternal darkness.   
  
  
Cordelia stared out the window, completely confused. She kept looking from the clock to the pitch black outside her window. Her spectral companion had kindly turned on every light in the house. She was about to phone Angel, when the phone rang and began to float towards her,  
"You know I can do it myself. Thanks anyway."  
She took the phone from her friend and answered it,  
"Hello?"  
Angel's voice was soft and concerned at the other end,  
"Are you okay?"  
"Five by five. What about you and Wesley?"  
"Wesley's gone to find a torch, and I'm...well...here."  
"Y'know I 'd feel a whole load better if you were *here* I mean Dennis's a great guy but he's doesn't exactly have a degree in protection and comfort."  
"Uh, point taken. We'll be there. Mean while, don't open the door to *anybody*, okay?"  
"I'm not a baby. I grew up on top of Hellmouth, Angel. I know how not to let a vamp into my home."  
"Good. We'll be right over. Don't go anywhere."  
They hung up, and Cordy turned to where Dennis waved a cup of coffee infront of her,  
"Oh Dennis, what would I do without you?"  
Die from lack of caffeine, the poltergeist thought to himself.  
  
  
  
"You take the car. I'll walk."  
Wesley took the keys from his vampiric business partner,  
"Won't it be a bit more dangerous than usual?"  
"That's the point. Every nocturnal demon in LA will be taking advantage of this. Take the car. I'll get there, don't worry."  
The ex-watcher climbed into the black Benz, and revved the engine,  
"If you're sure - "  
"I am. Go, Cordelia doesn't sound very happy."  
Angel gazed after his car, then followed it, wrestling with his kindred to rid the streets of as much predation as possible.  
Cloaked by the ebony silk that was the night, the soulful vampire made his way stealthily through the streets of LA towards Cordy and Dennis's house. He knew that if anything should happen, the poltergeist would do everything in his spectral power, to protect her. Never-the-less, Angel was worried about his human companions. Who wouldn't be? He began to speed up his pace as the what-ifs began to work their way into his calm attitude. He dodged humans and demons alike, hurrying to get to Cordelia before...before...nothing. It was just this *feeling*. He'd had it before the worlds lights switched off and now. Something was happening and it wasn't your average apocalyptic-ritual-in-10minutes routine.  
  
  
Mrs. Summers sat beside her daughter in Giles' living room along with the rest of the Scooby Gang. And Spike. The lone vampire sat in the corner on his own, forbidden to go outside incase something happened to make him change his career choice as a demon-hunter. Anya was seated on Xander's knee, Buffy on Riley's and Willow and Tara sat on the floor beside the fire rummaging through all of Giles' books for an answer. Riley shifted,  
"Buff, I'm not being funny, but I've lost all feeling in my leg."  
"Ooh, sorry!"  
She climbed off his knee, and wriggled her way between her boyfriend and her mother. It was only a two seated sofa, but it would do. Anya huffed,  
"I don't think it's Hellmouth. And all that crap about the monster that eats the sun was an old gypsy tale to make the children go to sleep."  
Giles looked over his glasses at her,  
"There's an element of truth in every scripture."  
"Oh right, so if you don't sleep at night, a monster the size of Manhattan will eat you?"  
"Um, no. I think not."  
"My point exactly."  
Buffy stood up,  
"You know, I *really* should go. I mean the whole eternal night time thing is gonna reek havoc with my slaying routine."  
Joyce stood up aswell,  
"Let me come, I don't want you out there on your own."  
"No. It too dangerous."  
"Buffy I - "  
"Mom, that's a flat refusal. No."  
  
  
"So is it usually this um...busy?"  
Buffy stepped aside as a vampire lunged at her, and she dug the stake into it's back.  
"That depends how you define usual. Normally? Sunnydale's not normal, Mom."  
"But for Sunnydale, is it normal?"  
"No. Too many bad guys of the undead species. Muggers I can handle. Psychotic axe-murderers too. But vamps get boring after a while."  
Joyce watched her daughter whirl around and nearly dust Spike,  
  
"Mom! Why didn't you tell me it was him? And don't you ever give out warnings?"  
Spike raised an eyebrow,  
"A little on edge aren't we tonight, Slayer?"  
"I just don't like the thought of being permanently on patrol if the sun doesn't come home."  
"Nevermind, we could always get you vamped, then chipped. You'd be like me. Only you'd be Vampire Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Has a certain ring to it, don't you think?"  
Buffy turned her back on him, and braced herself for the on coming vampires,  
"Giles got any updates?" She managed to say between punches.  
"Sort of. They've narrowed it down to three things."  
"And they are?" She said performing a swift high-kick and sending a vampire into the nearest tree.  
"Sorcery, Necromancy or Witchcraft."  
Joyce approached the chipped vampire, almost for protection,  
"What's the difference?"  
"Don't know, but one's got something to do with raising the dead etc."  
A particularly cocky vampire leapt at Joyce, Spike backhanded him, and he halted off snarling.  
The blonde vampire rubbed his hands, disgusted with himself,  
"It times like this I really wish I'd killed you when I had the chance."  



	2. The Lame Shall Walk, And The Dead Shall ...

  
The Lame Shall Walk, The Dead Shall Live Again...  
  
  
Title:- see above  
Rating:-PG13  
Distribution:- ask first.  
Ownership:- Joss is God. I am me. Enough said.  
Feedback :- would be appreciated.  
  
  
  
The merry-go-round turned with the breeze, and the wind whistled through the swings. The moon cast an eerie glow over the children's playground as she sat on a tyre-swing, swinging her legs and humming an Irish tune her Childe had taught her. She missed him and she regretted the day she offered him the girl. He'd accepted her willingly, not knowing she was the key to his undoing. Her Childe. She'd lost him now, he'd never return to her. Not after their last aqquaintance, where was it? A club. She'd tried to show him his true self, it had ended in her destruction.  
She stopped the swing as she placed her feet firmly on the ground and smiled as a human bolted past the gates in terror. A vampire followed closely behind, his intention to eat as much as possible. His joy was shortlived, however. A dark figure - also a vampire - sent the other flying across the road into the playground. She allowed herself to be seen by them, but didn't help the demon sprawled on the floor. The two male vampires fought it out, the darkhaired one, being the tallest and better-built, came through easily. He stood for a moment, dusting the ahes from his black attire, then realised he was being watched and looked up. He saw her. She wanted him to. She stood up and they approached eachother. She smiled fondly at him,  
"Angel."  
He didn't return the affection,  
"Darla."  
Angel tightened his grip on the stake in his hand. She raised her eyebrows,  
"Can't do it can you?" She cooed. "Not again."  
"Don't bet on it."  
She backed away slightly, not out of fear, just to see him more clearly. He stepped back also, he wasn't in the mood for her games. Smiling playfully, she twirled, arms outstretched,  
"Isn't it wonderful, Angel? An eternity of darkness."  
"No. It isn't, now if you'll excuse me, I have more *important* matters to attend to."  
The emphasis on the word "important" cut his Sire like a knife, and she showed it. Her face fell, and she looked up at him with big, round eyes. There was a time when Angel would forgive her anything when she looked at him that way, but that was then, this was now. No melting. He hardened his heart towards her and headed for Cordelia's house. She followed him. He'd expect her to stalk him, or just leave him be, not follow in plain view. Turning swiftly, he confronted her angrily,  
"What?!"  
"What's the matter? Getting to old for your Mommy to take you to school?"  
"No. You're bugging me. Go away."  
"I have nowhere to go."  
"What about your humans? They resurrected you, they can look after you too."  
"I was hungry."   
Angel looked at her in disbelief. Her expression told it all, her predatorial charm and sweetness confirmed it. He turned his back on her and kept going,  
"Unbelievable."  
"What? That a vampire should feed? *You're* the unbelievable one here, Angel."  
They rounded the corner, just 300metres away from Cordy's house. Angel could see his car parked outside. Wesley wa already there.  
"I don't have time for you now."  
"Then I'll *make* time."  
"No. No you won't. You'll go away and not come back."  
Darla stood her ground defiantly,  
"Make me."  
They were just a couple of feet away from the black car when Angel heard something. Whatever it was, was whistling. A high pitched shriek almost. Definately *not* human. Not good. They stopped and pressed their hands to their ears as it grew louder, and what looked like a ray of light pierced through Darla's body. Unable to move his feet to help her, Angel quickly looked around. Time stood still, and the ray of light disappeared the way it came. It came from nowhere and went back again, leaving the vampiress's body slumped on the sidewalk like a ragdoll. The vampire went to lift his Sire to her feet, but jerked back as his skin touched hers. She was warm. He took her wrist, she had a pulse. Hurriedly, Angel picked her up, hanging her over his shoulder in a fireman's lift. He rushed to Cordelia's house, and thumped on the door,  
"Let us in!"  
Inside Cordy and Wesley were sat on the sofa,  
Wesley went to answer the door,  
"That'll be Angel."  
Cordy looked puzzled,  
"Yeah, but what did he mean, "us"?"  
Wesley opened the door to see Angel stood there with Darla slung over his shoulder. The vampire pushed past, and lay his human Sire on the rug. His human companions stayed silent as the vampire attempted to revive her. Cordy took a jar of smelling salts from Dennis' invisible hand,  
"Thanks."  
She handed them to Angel and he waved the open jar under Darla's nose. She stirred and all except Angel held their breath as she opened her eyes and looked at her Childe in confusion,  
"Angel?" Her voice was soft and whispery with a tinge of fear. Fear, something the blonde hadn't known since the night she was reborn as a vampire.  
"I'm here."  
He squeezed her hand and she squeezed back, smiling for a moment. She smiled until her whole life as a coldhearted killer flooded her mind. She was struck dumb. The horrific deaths, the tortures, everything her life had consisted of had payed its toll. Her body went rigid and Angel recognised instantly the expression of total despair. Despair knew him by name. He lifted her to her feet and sat her down on the sofa. She said nothing. Cordelia took the opportunity to practise her sympathy skills,  
"I'll go run her a hot bath."   
Wesley saw the look angel gave him - he wanted to be alone with her,  
"I'll..um...make some coffee. Yes."  
Angel went to shut the doors to increase their privacy. When he turned back to her, Darla was running towards the door trying to get away. She opened it and ran blind through the door, running straight into Angel. She looked up at him and began to cry uncontrollably. Angel found himself holding her close and swaying gently, the way his mother had done when he was a boy,  
"Shhh....it's okay, I'm here."  
He lifted her off her feet and carried her back to the house.   
When Cordy and Wesley came back, Angel was sitting on the sofa with Darla sitting on his knee. Her face was emotionless and streaked with tears. Wesley handed Angel a cup of coffee,  
"Just in case."  
Angel nodded gratefully and kissed his Sire lightly on the forehead. Her head was rested against his shoulder and she sighed deeply, silent tears welling in her eyes.  
  
The vampire stepped away from the sofa. where Darla lay fast asleep. He placed his coat over her then picked up the coffe mug she'd drank from. He took a sip the smiled at Wesley,  
"Sleeping pills. Thanks, she needs rest."  
Wesley looked slightly puzzled,  
"But now you'll - "  
"No I won't. Human sleeping tablets have no effect."  
Cordy sighed,  
"I guess I'll have that bath then."  
She retired to the bathroom and Angel sat on the floor within arms reach of Darla should she need him. She wouldn't. The girl was out cold and wouldn't wake for several hours. Wesley smiled,  
"She looks so angelic when she sleeps."  



	3. Those Who Have Faith Shall Be Restored

Those Who Have Faith Shall Be Restored  
  
Title:- see above  
Rating:- PG13  
Distribution:- you can have whatever you like but ask first.  
Ownership:- Joss is God etc.  
Feedback:- would *so* be appreciated!  
  
Joyce shivered,  
"It's cold out here."  
"Mom, you're holding Spike's hand."  
Spike growled,  
" What of it? She was scared."  
"Spike, you're a vamp. I.e, no body heat."  
"Oh, yeah. She's right you know. Here, take my jacket."  
Buffy's face was a picture of utter disbelief,  
"Spike? What're you doing?"  
"Keeping your mother warm."  
"What happened to "Come anywhere near me again and I'll do somthing drastic"?"  
"I'm safer with you. I don't have many friends of the demonic sort."  
"Make that *no* friends."  
Joyce accepted the leather jacket gratefully, though it took a while for her to warm up. Spike had no body heat so the inside of the jacket was like ice. Spike shrugged,  
"Don't need any. Never have done, well, not really anyway. Not since Angelus abandoned me and Dru and ran off with Darla. He never did like the idea of being a father."  
Buffy sighed,  
"This 'll give Angel a chance to get more work done."  
"Oh don't start with the mush."  
"Shut up Bloodbrat."  
Spike snarled angrily,  
"Stop calling me that. It makes me hungry."  
They wandered towards the park and sat on a bench. All three of them. Then Joyce looked pensive and looked at the blonde vampire,  
"Think you'll ever get that chip out?"  
"Why? Can't wait for your daughter to kick my head in?"  
"No, you just don't seem very happy."  
"I'm not and don't start with the Agony Aunt routine. Willow's already tried that one."  
"I wasn't."  
"Mom, he's a vampire. Drinks human blood."  
"Everyone has to eat. If foxes can eat rabbits why can't vampires eat humans?"  
Spike nodded,  
"She has a point, Slayer."  
"I mean *someone* has to be top of the food chain."  
"Mom, you think too much. Besides, why can't they just eat animals? It does the same job."  
Spike prodded her arm,  
" 'Scuse me, one of *them* is sitting right here, and human blood is richer and tastes better."  
They looked up as Riley and a couple of other Initiative guys approached,  
"You should go get some rest. We'll take over."  
Buffy smiled gratefully and signalled for Spike and Joyce to come with her,  
"Thanks, guys. Eternal patrol isn't exactly on top of my list of "Oh yay"."  
  
Spike sat infront of Giles' fire toasting a marshmallow for the Slayer,  
"Here."  
He handed her the melting sweet and she grinned like a child at Christmas,  
"Thankyou."  
The vampire enquired around the room,  
"Anyone else?"  
The reply was negative and lights went off as thunder rolled over head. He stood and fed the fire more wood,  
"Powercut. Better unplug the TV."  
Giles sat on the floor. In doing this he couldn't fall anywhere and so was safer...unless some thing fell on him,  
"Why?"  
"Dunno. Someone told me it was safer."  
He went to plug the TV but with all his nightvision couldn't find the socket.  
The room lit momentarily as lightning flashed outside. The vampire moved towards the TV and rested his right arm on it, using the left to feel down the wire to find the plug. Pausing for a moment, he looked around the room to check everyone was alright. Getting soft in your old age, he thought to himself. Lightning blazed outside and the room lit up, allowing Spike to find the socket. Lightning flashed yet again, this time hitting closer to home. Spike had his hand on the plug and his body tensed as the electricity from the lightning outside shot through the wire and into his hand, spreading through his body like wildfire. Willow saw what was happening and rushed to his aid,  
"Spike!"  
Tara stopped her,  
"You'll be electricuted!"  
The vampire's figure fell limply on the floor a the current phased out. He dropped the plug and lay unconscious beside the destroyed television.  
Hours passed, and no-one touched him incase he was still charged. There was a respectful silence as he stirred and opened his eyes,  
"That was.....um....interesting."  
Buffy went to help him to his feet. Loathing human sympathy, he pushed her away from him using every shred of energy left in him. It was enough to send her across the room. She pulled herself to her feet as he did and stared at him slightly apprehensively,  
"Did that hurt?"  
Spike growled,  
"I was fried for Christ's sake, woman! Of course it bloody well hurt!"  
"No, you pushed me. Your head, did it hurt?"  
"What are you talking about?...Oh."  
All eyes focussed on the vampire as he looked at his feet, then grinned,  
"No. It didn't."  
Willow didn't understand,  
"But the chip?"  
Buffy looked at the Spike ready to attack if he tried anything,  
"Took a trip to the deep fat frier."  
He shrugged,  
"Guess I'll be off then."  
They watched as he happily strided out of the house and down to the Bronze for lunch. Buffy glowered,  
"Just when I thought things couldn't get worse!"  



	4. Joy Will Come To Those Who Wait

  
Joy Will Come To Those Who Wait.  
  
Title:- see above  
Rating;-PG13  
Distribution:- ask first  
Ownership:- Joss is God, I am not. Enough said.  
Feedack:- please?  
  
  
A very happy, de-chipped Spike roamed the streets of Sunnydale, praising the sudden darkness. He wasn't very hard for Buffy to find since there was a trail of half-dead humans leading to Willy's Place. Knowing she was behind him, the vampire turned and grinned mischevously,  
"For what do I owe the honor, your Bleached Blonde Mightyness?"  
"Hey! My hair is *natural*!"  
"Oh please! There are more highlights in your hair than a saturday morning football match!"  
"Ouch, good one. I'd have thought you'd tkae advantage of the night."  
The blonde demon shrugged,  
"Eternal night time. You need an eternal nightcap to go with it."  
  
  
Darla woke. She looked around, everything looked so different. Of course, she was seeing the world through human eyes. She could hear no heartbeats nor smell the blood. Not so tantalising. The thought of drinking human blood made her wretch and she felt a cold hand on her forehead as she tried to move her legs.  
"She has a fever."  
She looked at the person who the hand belonged to. Make that *demon*. It was Angel. Darla shivered and the vampire pulled his coat right around her, tucking her in as if she were a child. She wasn't, she was over 400 years old. Then he thought of how much she would have to cope with. He had only to suffer a century's worth of murder and carnage, while she was burdened with 4 centuries worth.  
"Angel, I want to get up."  
"Come on then."  
He lifted her off the sofa and put her back again so she was sitting up,  
"You're not standing though."  
"I'm no baby."  
"No. It's worse than that. You're *human*. Drastically reduced healing powers."  
Cordy and Wesley left for the local bar to give them some peace and Angel found himself gazing into Darla's twinkling eyes. He felt awkward. The vampire was used to fighting his Sire, not sympathising with her.  
"You okay?"  
She smiled faintly,  
"It's...I mean...I just feel so..."  
Her voice trailed off and Angel nodded understandingly,  
"I know. Welcome to redemption."  
  
  
"Usual please, Will."  
"Sure glad to have y'back after all this time."  
"Don't mushy on me, I might have to kill you."  
The human smiled,  
"Just to prove you can."  
"No, good quality bar tenders are hard to find these days."  
"You're alright, kid, you're alright."  
"And you're doing it again."  
Willy handed the starving vampire a pint of blood. Human. Spike sipped it, savouring the metallic tang, and his eyes glazed over as he drifted deep into thought. He snapped out of it in time for another pint,  
"Where d'you get the blood, Will? I mean I wouldn't consider you a cold blooded killer."  
"Nah, my brother's a professional torturer. He's got his workshop out back." He chuckled, "You think too much."  
All male heads turned as a slim blonde of average height walked in. Harmony. Nobody else could walk like that and get away with it. Except maybe Cordelia Chase, but then it was she who taught Harmony all she knew about fashion dos and don'ts. She smiled at every guy in the joint except Spike, her eyes passing right over him as if he was invisible. Spike turned back to Willy and said in his loudest, most theatrical voice,  
"They say there's a new heart throb in town. a real heart stopper."  
The human instantly picked up the dropped hint and played along,  
"Y'mean that Hitler fella?"  
Spike had to look at his drink to stop himself from laughing. Harmony didn't exactly ace history so she couldn't make the connection between World War 2 and their so called heart stopper.  
"Yeah. I heard talk that he lives down by the Summers place. Y'know the boarded up building."   
"I know the one, but I thought he went for the classy digs."  
Spike smiled at the barkeeper, could she be anymore gullable? He smiled even more as the vampiress took a seat just 3 away from his own.  
"He's doing it up, he's loaded y'know. Could afford to convert the place to the bloody White House."  
They heard the slight gasp of joy from Harmony and watched with ever increasing mirth as she ran out, heading for the building labelled "CONDEMNED" by the local council. Spike grinned,  
"I should have done that a *long* time ago. Teach her to try and stake me."  
"You did do it to her, Spike."  
"Yeah but she's so *annoying*. On the other hand, *I* am - "  
"Just a pain in the ass."  
Buffy stood at the door and cast her eyes to Spike's pint of blood. He didn't look up from his drink,  
"Slayer! And here's me thinking you'd forgotten."  
"That human?"  
"Duh. I didn't kill for it if that's what you're thinking."  
Buffy put her hands on her hips in her "Like I'd believe a single bloodsoaked word you say." expression. Willy came to his friend's aid,  
"He telling the truth. I got it for him."  
Spike stood, regaining his authority,  
"I don't have to justify my own actions. I'm my own demon so sod off."  
  
  
Darla looked out the window. She was confused. So many creatures out tonight. Which were human? Which were vampiric? She wished she could still tell the difference. She wished she could still defend herself. She wished so many things that she knew were now impossible. Feeling Angel's presence she smiled faintly. He saw her face reflected in the window though she could not see his. She turned her head to look at him and he smiled fondly,  
"Feeling better?"  
"Yeah."  
The vampire had almost ridden her of the self loathing she felt as she remembered her life as a vampire. She now realised that the person who did those things was not a person but a demon. It wasn't her. She'd grasped that concept along with the help of amny of Wesley's books on vampires and the hand written accounts by Angel. This she was thankful for, what would she do without her baby? Angel was her baby, she'd cared for him even when he didn't want it. There were times when she'd even dared to tuck him in and bare the consequences.  
"My Angel."  
That was one side affect of having a petname like "Angel". He could never tell when people who used it were being sarcastic or sincere. Previously, Darla had always used it to show the soulful vampire how unlike his petname he was. Angel. He was no Angel, he still craved human blood, the sound of so many heartbeats in one room could be unbearable. Add to that all the heartbeats on the streets outside, or in the house nextdoor and times it by the biggest number you can think of. Agony. Even his name in full gave Darla many ways to provoke him. Angelus, the one with the angelic face. It was in every document ever written about him. His angelic face, a mask hiding the demon within. Angel gazed deep into her eyes and tried to shut out the voice telling him to mutilate her beyond recognition. She smiled. Dennis was flicking through the television channels. This Darla found fascinating, she had no idea where the poltergeist was. During her whole (rather extended) lifetime, she'd never seen anything quite like this. She had watched witches do this with magic, telekinesis etc but never a poltergeist. Angel smiled as her eyes seemed to dance when she laughed. These were the things he had liked to remember about her. During his first century of feeling sorry for himself, the vampire had blotted out the horrific details of their life together and focussed on the nicer things. Her smile, her laugh, the way she always seemed to smell of peppermint and coffee beans. Now she just smelt like blood. Blood, peppermint and decaf. Not the best combination.  



End file.
